(Chapter Ten)
"Rei! Please, tell me. What did I say?" pleaded Van. Rei turned to Van. "You don't know when you break a girl's heart do you? No wonder Merle ran away from you! What about Hitomi? Do you think that she didn't care about you? And what did you do to her?" she spat at him no, not literally and continued to fight the enemies that continuously barred her way completely ignoring him as he stood staring open-mouthed after her. 'I broke her heart? How? She could never love me... right?' he thought frantically. But as he stared at her new appearance that he really had hurt her... with his words as much as she had hurt him with hers.
He ran after her. "Rei! Rei, please listen to me! Rei!" she could hear his words, but she never turned her head and continued to run down the corridor. "Rei! Stop!" she stopped and whipped around. She saw him run towards her and flung her forwards onto the ground with him on top of her. She twisted until her face was facing his. "What are you doing?" she asked softly whimpering, her eyes flickering black with despair. His dark eyes looked down at her, "Quick, we've got to get out of here. This whole corridor is a trap! Look!" She twisted her neck and looked as a huge fireball whipped just above their heads.
She shuddered as it passed by her and she heard Van groan. She pushed him off her softly and saw that the fireball had also had sharp blades somehow mixed in with the fire, Van had been slashed across the shoulder slightly by one of them near the base of his neck. She flipped him carefully on his front and she lifted the tattered back of his shirt. She flipped her hand up and on it appeared a jar of salve. She opened it and carefully applied it to his shoulder. She felt Van shiver slightly as the salve was worked into his skin and helped disperse the pain. When she was done he barely felt any pain.
Rei felt relieved as she saw that the salve had done its work, the scar it had left was already disappearing. Following whatever instinct she felt stirring, she bent down and kissed softly where the scar was already disappearing. Van stopped moving for a moment, his eyes widening before turning back over turned back over. He immediately saw the love stirring in her eyes and he knew that she really did love him. "Rei, I'm so sorry. I-I love you..." he trailed off as she looked down at him. "Shhh." she whispered soothingly. She lifted his head up on her lap and she kissed him gently on his lips. Rei closed her eyes and she forgot wherever the hell she was, she was with the man she loved.
Van had kept his eyes wide open in shock, he saw her long, beautiful, eyelashes flutter close and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her head close and he felt assured that she was there for him and would not abandon him, either by death or by choice. She opened her eyes once again and pulled away from him, quickly remembering where they were. She slipped her hand under Van's back and lifted him up into a sitting position. "Does your shoulder still hurt?" she asked anxiously. "No... Thanks to you." he replied and smiled at her. He got up and pulled her up with him. "Come on, we've got to find the others. She pulled the back of his shirt down his back again, covering the slight scar before following him.
"Well, well, well, Alan Schezar of Asturia." smirked one of the guards. Alan glared up at him. He had come to and found that he was tied to the wall and was defenseless. "You shameful coward, why not fight me like a knight instead of this cowardly behavior." he growled at the guard. Instead, the guard sneered, "Weell I would, but I know you'll beat me and so I'll just stand for "'this cowardly behavior' if you don't mind." The door opened and one of the female samurai appeared. Alan's eyes flipped up to her and he gasped audibly. "Millerna!" he choked out. She stared at him with no shade of recognition in her eyes. "Pardon? What did you call me?" she asked blinking. Alan's eyes widened, "You're Princess Millerna of Asturia! It's me, Alan! Don't you remember me?"
She just raised an eyebrow and chose to ignore him, although it was quite hard to ignore such a handsome young man as the prisoner bound on the wall. 'Millerna... What a queer name! I'm sure I've heard it somewhere, but where? she shook her head forcefully. My name is Selene, it always has been... but why do I keep having this strange feeling?' She walked over to the guard that was watching over Alan. "Dilandau wishes to see you, I'll watch over..." she twirled her wrist in Alan's general direction. "Umm, Alan! That is your name isn't it?" she asked twisting her head towards to him. She turned back to the guard as soon as he nodded. "Quickly. Dilandau is very impatient." The guard knew this and followed her advice, running quickly out the door.
She turned back to Alan and bent down so she could look into his eyes. "Why are you so against Zaibach? Everyone here except for Folken is wonderful and with our newest recruit, Jasmine. We're all happy here." His eyes searched hers, "Zaibach destroyed Finaalia, my own castle, and Asturia. Dilandau is desperate to kill Van because of a scar on his face? Why he has already killed millions!" she cocked her head and reached out to touch his face.
He looked away, but she firmly brought his face facing hers once again. "You, you must be from Asturia aren't you?" she asked hopefully her eyes shining. "Yes." he answered uncertainly. Her eyes sparkled. "That's such a pretty name, I went there once with Dilandau a long time ago." she frowned. "It was such a long time ago though, I've forgotten how it looked like. Can you tell me?" she asked. He stared at her. "Please?" she begged him.
"Well, it is a beautiful place, as beautiful as its name. Until the King of Asturia sided with Zaibach, there was harmony... for a little while. Until Dilandau burned the city to the ground." he added bitterly. "Why did you call me Millerna? My name is Selene." she spoke to break the silence. Alan's head jerked up. "Selene?!" he choked out. She nodded. "Yep, I'm one of the female samurai of Zaibach." She shrugged suddenly. "Come on lift up your chin for a moment." Without knowing why, Alan obeyed. She put her hands around his neck and he suddenly felt the bonds being removed. He gasped and she smiled at him. "Cute trick?" she asked hopefully.
He smiled at her, but she suddenly jammed him against the wall and flipped another fake wall in front of them. He struggled but she held him still. "Shh!" she whispered fiercely in his ear and she stared out the invisible window of the wall. "Funny, I could have sworn, I heard something coming from this room. Oh well." the guard in the doorway paused as he heard a rustling. Selene immediately thought up a plan. "Close your eyes." she instructed Alan who obeyed. She stripped off her top and leaned her head from behind the wall. The guard face-vaulted and looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Selene. I'll leave now." she smiled "I'm sorry, I hid, but I was surprised when I was changing." he nodded and left the room in a hurry.
She locked the door and Alan heard rustling of fabric. After she had changed into her armor, she tossed Alan a robe. "Let's getcha outta here." she called and ran out the door with him following right behind her.
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King Endymion in the future suddenly fell to his knees and so did Chibi-Usa. "No! Mommy can't die! Mommy can't die!" she pounded her little fists on the marble tiled floor sobbing her little heart out. Endymion immediately knew that the future would be changed, Usagi had died and Queen Neo-Serenity was gone with her. "Please, don't leave me Usako!" he whispered into the air.
All the senshi came running, both from the past and the future. "What's wrong!" cried Mercury. "It's Usako... She's dead." the response came dully and could barely be heard over the frantic grief of Chibi-Usa whom Hotaru was trying to calm. "No! I want Mommy! I want Mommy! No! No! No!" she sobbed acting more like a child than she ever had in her entire life. She clung to her friend and tears streamed down her face in rivulets.
Pluto covered her face with her hands covering her tear-stained face. Without her Time Staff, she could not change what she had known would have happened as recorded on history. The air around the city of Crystal Tokyo suddenly started to quiver as if seen in the heat of a desert. "No! The future that we know of is disappearing! And we're trapped in it!" shrieked a panicking Mercury. The tall, graceful arches of the castle towers of the royal palace disappeared slightly and they could only see a transparent mist of what was left of them.
Pluto suddenly snapped her fingers. "I know! We'll have to ask the boys from the Dragonball dimension and ask them to help us. But for now, I can freeze time for only a limited time period. I'll have to send us all to the Dragonball dimension." she waved her hands in a complicated pattern in the air and muttered some words that they couldn't understand. The air around them shifted and they could hardly breath for a few seconds before it cleared and the scouts (minus Pluto) and Endymion flew into unconsciousness.
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"Usagi! Shit where'd she go!" yelled Trunks in frustration. They were searching around the forest that they had been in and still they couldn't detect the aura of Usagi's body. "Where the f- oof!" came the reply as Sailor Venus was dumped on top of Gohan. "Where are we?" she was shrieking before she had calmed down enough to notice that she and Sailor Pluto were the only ones that were still unconscious. Oops, um I think she was caught by Trunks. She looked down and shrieked. "Ahhh! Get me off! Get me off!" she found herself held tightly and she stopped suddenly. She twisted her body and her blue eyes met up with brown. "Who are you? Are you from the Dragonball dimension?" she asked cocking her head.
Gohan gave a start, he shook himself and flew over to the nearest branch and deposited her there. Trunks also carried Pluto over. "Thank you very much for catching me Trunks." she said serenely. "I am Sailor Pluto and the Senshi of Time. I somehow know that though Usagi, though she died will come back. You do know when the Dragonballs will appear don't you?" she stared at both of them who had visibly relaxed at the fact that Usagi had told them of this mysterious Senshi of Time. "And you must be Sailor Venus?" asked Gohan politely turning to Venus.
"Yup. I'm the one who knows Princess Serenity not the one that is with Queen Neo-Serenity. She's the one." she pointed to the ground where Endymion and the other scouts were slumped. She face-vaulted and shrieked. "Ohmygod! Are they dead?" she whipped her love-me-chain around the branch and slid down to the ground. She ran from one to another. "Wake up!" she was yelling. Pluto smiled a little at this. She herself flicked her wrist and she floated down slowly followed by the two Saiyans. She walked over to the pink-haired girl. "Chibi-Usa? We're in the place where your mommy is." the little girl's eyes popped open. "Mommy's here!" she cried excitedly. Gohan flinched at this. Mommy? Is Usagi her mother? He looked confusedly as the other scouts awoke and arose.
The young man in the velvet suit shook his rumpled hair and smiled at Gohan. "So you're the one who loves the girl who was to be my wife." Gohan's eyebrows shot up. "Excuse me? Usagi's your wife?" the young man laughed. "Well she's supposed to be, but now that the me from the past hates her guts, I really don't know what'll happen to me or my daughter Chibi-Usa." he pointed to the little pink-haired girl. She had overheard and ran over. "Daddy? Is Mommy really here?" she asked eagerly. The man smiled sadly. "I won't call her that anymore. Somehow the balance that we have of destiny has shifted and we might not get married. Call her Usagi, just like you used to when you didn't know she was Sailor Moon." he turned back to the young boys. "I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself. I'm King Endymion of Crystal Tokyo in the year 2099 in the Moon Dynasty dimension." he held out his hand and they shook it respectfully.
The others had awoken at this time and were crowding around the young men. The girl's from the future had their husbands already. If you don't know already, Ami's with Zoicite /yeah, I thought Zoicite was a girl too but../, Rei's with Jedaite, Makoto's with Nephlite, and Minako's with Kunzite /Malachite, in the anime series you know/. But the other's didn't and they were staring at the two cuties standing in front of them. Ami was included in the gang although she was pretending to study their power levels with her computer. Come on, they're senshi but they're also human!
Gohan turned to Pluto excitedly. "You mean, we can save Usagi? Is it really possible?" she looked at him solemnly. "We-ell, it is if you think it is worth it. We've got several problems that we have to fix, but the others I can fix with my Time Staff... if I had it. But we can only make one wish and yet there are several we need." she smiled at Gohan and beckoned for him to follow her a little bit away from the gang.
"You love Usagi." she said matter-of-factly as soon as they were out of hearing distance. Gohan colored. "What do you mean?!" She cocked her head. "Well, it's kinda obvious isn't it? Trunks knows and I can tell as well. The others aren't they're still drooling over the both of you but I know better. I need to tell you something. You've now met Endymion and you know about Chiba Mamoru don't you?" Gohan nodded at this, "Well, then the love that was within Mamoru somehow fled his body after a battle with the Nega-verse. He now hates her, and loves another girl, but the love that her future husband is still strong and it somehow went within you. You are the one that will become the King of the Moon Dynasty in the other dimension. I know since I am the Senshi of Time." she stared as his jaw dropped.
"You're kidding aren't you? I'll become him?!" he spoke frantically and pointed at the King Endymion. "And that she'll be my daughter?!" pointing at Chibi-Usa. "Nope, they're what the future would have been, you and your daughter will be completely different." she paused, "At least I think so." She frowned at the thought. She turned and saw that he was staring at the two standing apart from the group of girls gathering around Trunks.
"They know don't they?" he asked softly. Pluto nodded quietly, "Don't worry about them, sometimes destiny changes. The youma that shattered Usagi's crystal started this chain and it'll keep disrupting all the dimensions until I set it right." she got a little upset at that and she slammed her fist on the trunk of the tree that she was standing against. The impact shattered the tree-trunk and she stared at it surprised. "Oops." she muttered.
"Gohan! Lil' help here?!" came a yell from Trunks that came rather pointedly. Gohan and Pluto laughed and ran to assist Trunks with the three senshi that were surrounding him. If you've forgotten already, the others have husbands, Hotaru's still a girl and Michiru and Haruka are a couple. "Come on, time for flirting a little later, after we save Usagi and stop Queen Beryl." the girls all stopped. "Wait a minute, we defeated Queen Beryl already." cried a confused Minako. Trunks, Gohan, and Pluto sighed. "Time for an explanation." they all said simultaneously.
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"Dilandau? Are you all right?" asked a concerned Jasmine. Dilandau had been cradling his scar and frowning at his reflection in the mirror. He turned bac to her. She was wearing her samurai armor. She helped fix his a little and grabbed her sword and slung it in its sheath. "Come on. Let's go." he stayed put. "Something is wrong isn't there?" she asked softly. She sat down next to him and for once he let his head drop to her shoulder and she cradled him in a hug. "Shh, it's alright, I'm here, and soon you'll be happy." she whispered softly into his hair, he flipped his face up and kissed her. She stood up, and they left the room together.
Meanwhile, Rei was walking down the hall cautiously with Van. They saw two figures emerge from a room and Van raised his sword. "Van, Rei!" the cloaked figure ran towards them and they recognized Alan. "Who're you?" asked Vaun turning to the figure that was also cloaked. As she removed it, he gasped. "Millerna?!" at the same moment that Rei gasped, "Selene?!" they turned to each other. "What?!" Selene giggled. "Yep, you guy are made for each other." Alan next to her gave her a look. "What do you mean?" he asked. "Well, their definitely made for each other, just like Jasmine and Dilandau." she added the last part and didn't notice that the rest of them were staring at her, their mouths (except Rei) were staring in horror.
"Did Dilandau hurt her? If her did I'll kill him!" swore Van gripping his sword. Millerna stepped back and Rei grabbed his hand. "You've got to stop this attack. They really do love each other. Dilandau actually know what love is now. Let's go!" she begged him. He shrugged her off. "I'll get Merle back, I don't care about that Dilandau." Rei stepped away. "Well, if that's what you want. Alan?" she asked turning to him. He looked away. "No matter what I hate of Dilandau, I think that if he loves Jasmine then we should leave them."
Van's face contorted into anger. "You'll all leave Merle with that MONSTER?" he yelled furiously. "He is not a monster. Folken is the one who is making Zaibach do all of this. Dilandau loves to kill... but to his friends he's the best." Selene spoke up quietly. Vaun rounded on her. "I wouldn't talk TRAITOR!" he cried. Rei grabbed him and shoved him against the wall. "Listen to yourself! You are going to go crazy if you stay like this. Let's just get out of here! Merle no longer exists. She is now Jasmine. Please Van." her eyes wide and pleading.
He felt himself weakening but he pushed her away and continued to walk down the hall. Rei looked at Alan and Selene. She understood that both of them were torn. She nodded and said, "You take Selene out of the Zaibach fortress, and I'll watch out for Van, he's bound to be reckless." her voice came out quietly and Alan nodded. He led Selene the opposite way that Rei headed after Van.
When he heard light footsteps behind him, he swung his sword and he found that it was caught rather lightly. It was Rei. "What are you doing?!" he cried. She slapped her hand across his mouth. "Shh. I'm coming with you." When he tried to struggled, she shook her head firmly. "Let's go." her hand slipped into his and she led him to where she knew Dilandau and Jasmine were.
When he saw his archenemy approach, Dilandau's eyes slitted. Jasmine noticed and stood up. "Well, you came Van, but who are you?" she asked the girl in the red mini-skirt next to him. "I am Sailor Mars, Princess of Mars, and royal guardian of future Neo-Queen Serenity of the Mystic Moon." she proclaimed and Van just glared at Dilandau. "Where is Merle." he spoke in a tone that did not indicate it as a question. Dilandau smiled at this and pulled Jasmine towards him as he stood up. Van growled deep in his throat but Rei knew.
"May I request an audience with the lord Dilandau for a moment before the fight?" she asked politely and bowing on the ground. Van looked at her in surprise. "What are you doing?" he hissed. Dilandau glared at her but nodded. "Very well." Rei stood up and walked to the throne-like platform and Jasmine stepped out of hearing distance. "What is it?" asked Dilandau roughly. She looked over at Jasmine and then back at him. "That's Jasmine, the girl who used to be Merle and the woman you love isn't it?" she asked softly. His hand tightened on his sword. "How do you know?" she smiled.
"Well, I am the Senshi of Fire and within the spiritual fire that burns within us all, I can read in yours that you really do love her and that she loves you. That is why I told Van not to come." Dilandau stared at her in disbelief. "Do you really expect me to believe that?!" he asked in disbelief. She shook her head. "No, but then if there is a chance that you would listen, then maybe you can stop this without one of you lying on the ground bathed in your own blood!" she said. Dilandau's eyes widened. "You know of the revenge I plan to take on Van don't you?" she nodded again. "Yes, I do. I can feel it in your very soul. If your scar was gone would you still be so enraged with him?" she asked innocently and he touched it almost unconsciously.
She smiled a little and took out a small jar. She held it out. "This would cure your scar. But would you trust me enough?" he looked at her. "I need proof." he spat out. She nodded and took her hand and sliced it with his sword, when she applied it the wound instantly began to heal and then the scar to fade. She held out her hand with the jar towards him and he nodded. She rubbed some on his cheek and it burned like fire for an instant before the pain disappeared and he reached up. There he felt nothing. She smiled. "Now, will you forgive Van? If I can read the past, you were the one who was trying to kill Van in the first place. But about Jasmine..." he stiffened and glanced at her. "You want to stay with her don't you?" he nodded. "Then let us leave, won't you? You have massive control over this floating fortress if Zaibach, why destroy all these countries and cities just to try and cheat destiny?"
"Very well, but Jasmine must stay with me." he said firmly. She nodded and on impulse gave him a hug, a hug that was entirely unpredicted and shocked everyone on the room. She stood and ran back to Van who reeled in anger. "You WHAT! I must have Merle!" he charged towards Dilandau. Rei's eyes flashed red. "Mars! Transport! Power!" she shrieked and before Dilandau's eyes, Van and Rei were gone, a slip of paper drifted down and Dilandau picked it up.
It was an ofuda and on the back it said, Good Luck! He stuffed it in his pocket of his armor and tuned back towards Jasmine. "You are mine for good now." she smiled at him confusedly. "Didn't you want him dead?" he smiled at her. "The ointment Mars gave me must have done something else as well." he kissed her and they also walked off. The guards remained staring at what had just happened.
"What the hell did you just do?" yelled Van furiously as she threw him on his bed back at Alan's ship. She glared at him. He started to get up and out the door. "Oh no you don't!" and before he knew what, Mars was sitting on top of him and not allowing him to do much else other than struggle. "Stop it now!" she told him firmly her eyes flashing and sparking. When he stopped struggling, she relaxed a little. "You still don't understand don't you? HE LOVES HER!" she cried. "He was able to forget what you've done to him, but what about you? Is there no such thing as burying the past? Finaalia can be restored, but does your anger towards Dilandau have to grow? He's found something in him that he's never seemed to know he ever had, A HEART! He forgave you! And look what you tried to do!" she continued her face contorting in disgust.
His eyes flew up wide. Dilandau? He loves Merle? He stared up at the young woman on top of him and she rolled off him and then next to him. She sighed. "Why? Why must you destroy Merle's heart a second time?" she asked turning to him, her face inches away from his. He knew more than ever that she really did care for him and that she cared about how Merle felt even if it was towards his worst enemy. He shuddered and she knew. He sat up a little and gave him a hug, cradling his head in her arms. He relaxed under her touch and both of them were found asleep in the morning in that position by Alan and Selene.
Rei awoke from a terrifying dream and filled with terror. No. It couldn't be. Usagi couldn't be dead. She just couldn't! But she knew it was true, Pluto would be coming to get her and she must be ready. But how could Beryl be back? How? She looked down at Van's sleeping form and saw him as peaceful as the little boy he had been before all the war. She leant down and kissed his lips lightly and his eyes fluttered open. As he sat up, he saw that Rei's eyes were filled with tears. "Rei? Are you all right?" he asked anxiously. She shook her head but she was trembling. He held her tight in his arms and tried to sooth her and she began sobbing into his shirt. "M-my pr-princess is d-dead..." she sobbed out.
She suddenly shot her head up and her luminous eyes were still shimmering with tears. "W-will you come with me? She's dead but if we kill the witch that killed her, we might be able to bring her back? Will you help us fight? Please?" she begged him her eyes wide. He nodded. "But how would we get there?" he asked and she smiled. "How did we get here? Huh?" she asked playfully poking him in the ribs. He swatted her hand away equally playfully.
There was a knock on the door and they were both startled. It opened to reveal Alan and Selene. After a little while okay, it was an hour 'cause Selene chose that moment to keel over in a dead faint for some reason... they all agreed to go with Rei and help out. When Selene pointed out that maybe Dilandau and his guymellef would be of some help, Van's face turned stony but Rei snapped her fingers with delight. "Be right back!" she called before she disappeared.
Dilandau was just getting out of the shower and had wrapped a towel around his waist when Rei appeared before him. She stared for about a second before turning a shade of red that matched her sailor outfit and looked away. Dilandau had jumped about a mile into the air before he recognized Rei. She apologized and stepped out of the room and he promised to speak with her. When she did tell him of her problem, he was frowning a little.
"Van will be there won't he?" Rei started, "Yes... Are you over that silly fight yet?" Dilandau's face twisted. "Thanks to you and some help from Jasmine, I have... but what about Van? He'll probably turn on me in the middle of the battle!" she shook her head. "I'll take care of him... but will you help me?" Dilandau thought a moment and nodded. "Do you need an army?" he asked. "No." she decided. "Just bring your guymellef and Jasmine." He consented and he asked. "But how will we get there?"
Rei stood and said, "I'll show you, but quick, you've got to get ready before the time for battle comes!" She dragged him out of the room and after meeting up with Jasmine and getting the guymellef, they transported, with a little difficulty for Mars... Hey have you ever tried to transport that much stuff? where Van and the Escaflowne were waiting and Alan with his guymellef. Hitomi and Selene were standing together and talking. Selene was showing Hitomi a few moves with a sword.
Just as Mars got there, the air started to swirl and they all looked around. In the middle of the meeting-place stood Sailor Pluto. She looked around. "Mars???" she asked questioningly. "They're coming with." Rei told Pluto firmly. Pluto nodded and both of them made a few motions with their hands and uttered a few words. They all were sucked through the the dimensional gap between their worlds and they were headed to the Dragonball dimension, where already there were warriors assembled to help in the battle for the life of a fallen Lunarian princess.
"Rei! Please, tell me. What did I say?" pleaded Van. Rei turned to Van. "You don't know when you break a girl's heart do you? No wonder Merle ran away from you! What about Hitomi? Do you think that she didn't care about you? And what did you do to her?" she spat at him no, not literally and continued to fight the enemies that continuously barred her way completely ignoring him as he stood staring open-mouthed after her. 'I broke her heart? How? She could never love me... right?' he thought frantically. But as he stared at her new appearance that he really had hurt her... with his words as much as she had hurt him with hers.
He ran after her. "Rei! Rei, please listen to me! Rei!" she could hear his words, but she never turned her head and continued to run down the corridor. "Rei! Stop!" she stopped and whipped around. She saw him run towards her and flung her forwards onto the ground with him on top of her. She twisted until her face was facing his. "What are you doing?" she asked softly whimpering, her eyes flickering black with despair. His dark eyes looked down at her, "Quick, we've got to get out of here. This whole corridor is a trap! Look!" She twisted her neck and looked as a huge fireball whipped just above their heads.
She shuddered as it passed by her and she heard Van groan. She pushed him off her softly and saw that the fireball had also had sharp blades somehow mixed in with the fire, Van had been slashed across the shoulder slightly by one of them near the base of his neck. She flipped him carefully on his front and she lifted the tattered back of his shirt. She flipped her hand up and on it appeared a jar of salve. She opened it and carefully applied it to his shoulder. She felt Van shiver slightly as the salve was worked into his skin and helped disperse the pain. When she was done he barely felt any pain.
Rei felt relieved as she saw that the salve had done its work, the scar it had left was already disappearing. Following whatever instinct she felt stirring, she bent down and kissed softly where the scar was already disappearing. Van stopped moving for a moment, his eyes widening before turning back over turned back over. He immediately saw the love stirring in her eyes and he knew that she really did love him. "Rei, I'm so sorry. I-I love you..." he trailed off as she looked down at him. "Shhh." she whispered soothingly. She lifted his head up on her lap and she kissed him gently on his lips. Rei closed her eyes and she forgot wherever the hell she was, she was with the man she loved.
Van had kept his eyes wide open in shock, he saw her long, beautiful, eyelashes flutter close and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her head close and he felt assured that she was there for him and would not abandon him, either by death or by choice. She opened her eyes once again and pulled away from him, quickly remembering where they were. She slipped her hand under Van's back and lifted him up into a sitting position. "Does your shoulder still hurt?" she asked anxiously. "No... Thanks to you." he replied and smiled at her. He got up and pulled her up with him. "Come on, we've got to find the others. She pulled the back of his shirt down his back again, covering the slight scar before following him.
"Well, well, well, Alan Schezar of Asturia." smirked one of the guards. Alan glared up at him. He had come to and found that he was tied to the wall and was defenseless. "You shameful coward, why not fight me like a knight instead of this cowardly behavior." he growled at the guard. Instead, the guard sneered, "Weell I would, but I know you'll beat me and so I'll just stand for "'this cowardly behavior' if you don't mind." The door opened and one of the female samurai appeared. Alan's eyes flipped up to her and he gasped audibly. "Millerna!" he choked out. She stared at him with no shade of recognition in her eyes. "Pardon? What did you call me?" she asked blinking. Alan's eyes widened, "You're Princess Millerna of Asturia! It's me, Alan! Don't you remember me?"
She just raised an eyebrow and chose to ignore him, although it was quite hard to ignore such a handsome young man as the prisoner bound on the wall. 'Millerna... What a queer name! I'm sure I've heard it somewhere, but where? she shook her head forcefully. My name is Selene, it always has been... but why do I keep having this strange feeling?' She walked over to the guard that was watching over Alan. "Dilandau wishes to see you, I'll watch over..." she twirled her wrist in Alan's general direction. "Umm, Alan! That is your name isn't it?" she asked twisting her head towards to him. She turned back to the guard as soon as he nodded. "Quickly. Dilandau is very impatient." The guard knew this and followed her advice, running quickly out the door.
She turned back to Alan and bent down so she could look into his eyes. "Why are you so against Zaibach? Everyone here except for Folken is wonderful and with our newest recruit, Jasmine. We're all happy here." His eyes searched hers, "Zaibach destroyed Finaalia, my own castle, and Asturia. Dilandau is desperate to kill Van because of a scar on his face? Why he has already killed millions!" she cocked her head and reached out to touch his face.
He looked away, but she firmly brought his face facing hers once again. "You, you must be from Asturia aren't you?" she asked hopefully her eyes shining. "Yes." he answered uncertainly. Her eyes sparkled. "That's such a pretty name, I went there once with Dilandau a long time ago." she frowned. "It was such a long time ago though, I've forgotten how it looked like. Can you tell me?" she asked. He stared at her. "Please?" she begged him.
"Well, it is a beautiful place, as beautiful as its name. Until the King of Asturia sided with Zaibach, there was harmony... for a little while. Until Dilandau burned the city to the ground." he added bitterly. "Why did you call me Millerna? My name is Selene." she spoke to break the silence. Alan's head jerked up. "Selene?!" he choked out. She nodded. "Yep, I'm one of the female samurai of Zaibach." She shrugged suddenly. "Come on lift up your chin for a moment." Without knowing why, Alan obeyed. She put her hands around his neck and he suddenly felt the bonds being removed. He gasped and she smiled at him. "Cute trick?" she asked hopefully.
He smiled at her, but she suddenly jammed him against the wall and flipped another fake wall in front of them. He struggled but she held him still. "Shh!" she whispered fiercely in his ear and she stared out the invisible window of the wall. "Funny, I could have sworn, I heard something coming from this room. Oh well." the guard in the doorway paused as he heard a rustling. Selene immediately thought up a plan. "Close your eyes." she instructed Alan who obeyed. She stripped off her top and leaned her head from behind the wall. The guard face-vaulted and looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Selene. I'll leave now." she smiled "I'm sorry, I hid, but I was surprised when I was changing." he nodded and left the room in a hurry.
She locked the door and Alan heard rustling of fabric. After she had changed into her armor, she tossed Alan a robe. "Let's getcha outta here." she called and ran out the door with him following right behind her.
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King Endymion in the future suddenly fell to his knees and so did Chibi-Usa. "No! Mommy can't die! Mommy can't die!" she pounded her little fists on the marble tiled floor sobbing her little heart out. Endymion immediately knew that the future would be changed, Usagi had died and Queen Neo-Serenity was gone with her. "Please, don't leave me Usako!" he whispered into the air.
All the senshi came running, both from the past and the future. "What's wrong!" cried Mercury. "It's Usako... She's dead." the response came dully and could barely be heard over the frantic grief of Chibi-Usa whom Hotaru was trying to calm. "No! I want Mommy! I want Mommy! No! No! No!" she sobbed acting more like a child than she ever had in her entire life. She clung to her friend and tears streamed down her face in rivulets.
Pluto covered her face with her hands covering her tear-stained face. Without her Time Staff, she could not change what she had known would have happened as recorded on history. The air around the city of Crystal Tokyo suddenly started to quiver as if seen in the heat of a desert. "No! The future that we know of is disappearing! And we're trapped in it!" shrieked a panicking Mercury. The tall, graceful arches of the castle towers of the royal palace disappeared slightly and they could only see a transparent mist of what was left of them.
Pluto suddenly snapped her fingers. "I know! We'll have to ask the boys from the Dragonball dimension and ask them to help us. But for now, I can freeze time for only a limited time period. I'll have to send us all to the Dragonball dimension." she waved her hands in a complicated pattern in the air and muttered some words that they couldn't understand. The air around them shifted and they could hardly breath for a few seconds before it cleared and the scouts (minus Pluto) and Endymion flew into unconsciousness.
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"Usagi! Shit where'd she go!" yelled Trunks in frustration. They were searching around the forest that they had been in and still they couldn't detect the aura of Usagi's body. "Where the f- oof!" came the reply as Sailor Venus was dumped on top of Gohan. "Where are we?" she was shrieking before she had calmed down enough to notice that she and Sailor Pluto were the only ones that were still unconscious. Oops, um I think she was caught by Trunks. She looked down and shrieked. "Ahhh! Get me off! Get me off!" she found herself held tightly and she stopped suddenly. She twisted her body and her blue eyes met up with brown. "Who are you? Are you from the Dragonball dimension?" she asked cocking her head.
Gohan gave a start, he shook himself and flew over to the nearest branch and deposited her there. Trunks also carried Pluto over. "Thank you very much for catching me Trunks." she said serenely. "I am Sailor Pluto and the Senshi of Time. I somehow know that though Usagi, though she died will come back. You do know when the Dragonballs will appear don't you?" she stared at both of them who had visibly relaxed at the fact that Usagi had told them of this mysterious Senshi of Time. "And you must be Sailor Venus?" asked Gohan politely turning to Venus.
"Yup. I'm the one who knows Princess Serenity not the one that is with Queen Neo-Serenity. She's the one." she pointed to the ground where Endymion and the other scouts were slumped. She face-vaulted and shrieked. "Ohmygod! Are they dead?" she whipped her love-me-chain around the branch and slid down to the ground. She ran from one to another. "Wake up!" she was yelling. Pluto smiled a little at this. She herself flicked her wrist and she floated down slowly followed by the two Saiyans. She walked over to the pink-haired girl. "Chibi-Usa? We're in the place where your mommy is." the little girl's eyes popped open. "Mommy's here!" she cried excitedly. Gohan flinched at this. Mommy? Is Usagi her mother? He looked confusedly as the other scouts awoke and arose.
The young man in the velvet suit shook his rumpled hair and smiled at Gohan. "So you're the one who loves the girl who was to be my wife." Gohan's eyebrows shot up. "Excuse me? Usagi's your wife?" the young man laughed. "Well she's supposed to be, but now that the me from the past hates her guts, I really don't know what'll happen to me or my daughter Chibi-Usa." he pointed to the little pink-haired girl. She had overheard and ran over. "Daddy? Is Mommy really here?" she asked eagerly. The man smiled sadly. "I won't call her that anymore. Somehow the balance that we have of destiny has shifted and we might not get married. Call her Usagi, just like you used to when you didn't know she was Sailor Moon." he turned back to the young boys. "I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself. I'm King Endymion of Crystal Tokyo in the year 2099 in the Moon Dynasty dimension." he held out his hand and they shook it respectfully.
The others had awoken at this time and were crowding around the young men. The girl's from the future had their husbands already. If you don't know already, Ami's with Zoicite /yeah, I thought Zoicite was a girl too but../, Rei's with Jedaite, Makoto's with Nephlite, and Minako's with Kunzite /Malachite, in the anime series you know/. But the other's didn't and they were staring at the two cuties standing in front of them. Ami was included in the gang although she was pretending to study their power levels with her computer. Come on, they're senshi but they're also human!
Gohan turned to Pluto excitedly. "You mean, we can save Usagi? Is it really possible?" she looked at him solemnly. "We-ell, it is if you think it is worth it. We've got several problems that we have to fix, but the others I can fix with my Time Staff... if I had it. But we can only make one wish and yet there are several we need." she smiled at Gohan and beckoned for him to follow her a little bit away from the gang.
"You love Usagi." she said matter-of-factly as soon as they were out of hearing distance. Gohan colored. "What do you mean?!" She cocked her head. "Well, it's kinda obvious isn't it? Trunks knows and I can tell as well. The others aren't they're still drooling over the both of you but I know better. I need to tell you something. You've now met Endymion and you know about Chiba Mamoru don't you?" Gohan nodded at this, "Well, then the love that was within Mamoru somehow fled his body after a battle with the Nega-verse. He now hates her, and loves another girl, but the love that her future husband is still strong and it somehow went within you. You are the one that will become the King of the Moon Dynasty in the other dimension. I know since I am the Senshi of Time." she stared as his jaw dropped.
"You're kidding aren't you? I'll become him?!" he spoke frantically and pointed at the King Endymion. "And that she'll be my daughter?!" pointing at Chibi-Usa. "Nope, they're what the future would have been, you and your daughter will be completely different." she paused, "At least I think so." She frowned at the thought. She turned and saw that he was staring at the two standing apart from the group of girls gathering around Trunks.
"They know don't they?" he asked softly. Pluto nodded quietly, "Don't worry about them, sometimes destiny changes. The youma that shattered Usagi's crystal started this chain and it'll keep disrupting all the dimensions until I set it right." she got a little upset at that and she slammed her fist on the trunk of the tree that she was standing against. The impact shattered the tree-trunk and she stared at it surprised. "Oops." she muttered.
"Gohan! Lil' help here?!" came a yell from Trunks that came rather pointedly. Gohan and Pluto laughed and ran to assist Trunks with the three senshi that were surrounding him. If you've forgotten already, the others have husbands, Hotaru's still a girl and Michiru and Haruka are a couple. "Come on, time for flirting a little later, after we save Usagi and stop Queen Beryl." the girls all stopped. "Wait a minute, we defeated Queen Beryl already." cried a confused Minako. Trunks, Gohan, and Pluto sighed. "Time for an explanation." they all said simultaneously.
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"Dilandau? Are you all right?" asked a concerned Jasmine. Dilandau had been cradling his scar and frowning at his reflection in the mirror. He turned bac to her. She was wearing her samurai armor. She helped fix his a little and grabbed her sword and slung it in its sheath. "Come on. Let's go." he stayed put. "Something is wrong isn't there?" she asked softly. She sat down next to him and for once he let his head drop to her shoulder and she cradled him in a hug. "Shh, it's alright, I'm here, and soon you'll be happy." she whispered softly into his hair, he flipped his face up and kissed her. She stood up, and they left the room together.
Meanwhile, Rei was walking down the hall cautiously with Van. They saw two figures emerge from a room and Van raised his sword. "Van, Rei!" the cloaked figure ran towards them and they recognized Alan. "Who're you?" asked Vaun turning to the figure that was also cloaked. As she removed it, he gasped. "Millerna?!" at the same moment that Rei gasped, "Selene?!" they turned to each other. "What?!" Selene giggled. "Yep, you guy are made for each other." Alan next to her gave her a look. "What do you mean?" he asked. "Well, their definitely made for each other, just like Jasmine and Dilandau." she added the last part and didn't notice that the rest of them were staring at her, their mouths (except Rei) were staring in horror.
"Did Dilandau hurt her? If her did I'll kill him!" swore Van gripping his sword. Millerna stepped back and Rei grabbed his hand. "You've got to stop this attack. They really do love each other. Dilandau actually know what love is now. Let's go!" she begged him. He shrugged her off. "I'll get Merle back, I don't care about that Dilandau." Rei stepped away. "Well, if that's what you want. Alan?" she asked turning to him. He looked away. "No matter what I hate of Dilandau, I think that if he loves Jasmine then we should leave them."
Van's face contorted into anger. "You'll all leave Merle with that MONSTER?" he yelled furiously. "He is not a monster. Folken is the one who is making Zaibach do all of this. Dilandau loves to kill... but to his friends he's the best." Selene spoke up quietly. Vaun rounded on her. "I wouldn't talk TRAITOR!" he cried. Rei grabbed him and shoved him against the wall. "Listen to yourself! You are going to go crazy if you stay like this. Let's just get out of here! Merle no longer exists. She is now Jasmine. Please Van." her eyes wide and pleading.
He felt himself weakening but he pushed her away and continued to walk down the hall. Rei looked at Alan and Selene. She understood that both of them were torn. She nodded and said, "You take Selene out of the Zaibach fortress, and I'll watch out for Van, he's bound to be reckless." her voice came out quietly and Alan nodded. He led Selene the opposite way that Rei headed after Van.
When he heard light footsteps behind him, he swung his sword and he found that it was caught rather lightly. It was Rei. "What are you doing?!" he cried. She slapped her hand across his mouth. "Shh. I'm coming with you." When he tried to struggled, she shook her head firmly. "Let's go." her hand slipped into his and she led him to where she knew Dilandau and Jasmine were.
When he saw his archenemy approach, Dilandau's eyes slitted. Jasmine noticed and stood up. "Well, you came Van, but who are you?" she asked the girl in the red mini-skirt next to him. "I am Sailor Mars, Princess of Mars, and royal guardian of future Neo-Queen Serenity of the Mystic Moon." she proclaimed and Van just glared at Dilandau. "Where is Merle." he spoke in a tone that did not indicate it as a question. Dilandau smiled at this and pulled Jasmine towards him as he stood up. Van growled deep in his throat but Rei knew.
"May I request an audience with the lord Dilandau for a moment before the fight?" she asked politely and bowing on the ground. Van looked at her in surprise. "What are you doing?" he hissed. Dilandau glared at her but nodded. "Very well." Rei stood up and walked to the throne-like platform and Jasmine stepped out of hearing distance. "What is it?" asked Dilandau roughly. She looked over at Jasmine and then back at him. "That's Jasmine, the girl who used to be Merle and the woman you love isn't it?" she asked softly. His hand tightened on his sword. "How do you know?" she smiled.
"Well, I am the Senshi of Fire and within the spiritual fire that burns within us all, I can read in yours that you really do love her and that she loves you. That is why I told Van not to come." Dilandau stared at her in disbelief. "Do you really expect me to believe that?!" he asked in disbelief. She shook her head. "No, but then if there is a chance that you would listen, then maybe you can stop this without one of you lying on the ground bathed in your own blood!" she said. Dilandau's eyes widened. "You know of the revenge I plan to take on Van don't you?" she nodded again. "Yes, I do. I can feel it in your very soul. If your scar was gone would you still be so enraged with him?" she asked innocently and he touched it almost unconsciously.
She smiled a little and took out a small jar. She held it out. "This would cure your scar. But would you trust me enough?" he looked at her. "I need proof." he spat out. She nodded and took her hand and sliced it with his sword, when she applied it the wound instantly began to heal and then the scar to fade. She held out her hand with the jar towards him and he nodded. She rubbed some on his cheek and it burned like fire for an instant before the pain disappeared and he reached up. There he felt nothing. She smiled. "Now, will you forgive Van? If I can read the past, you were the one who was trying to kill Van in the first place. But about Jasmine..." he stiffened and glanced at her. "You want to stay with her don't you?" he nodded. "Then let us leave, won't you? You have massive control over this floating fortress if Zaibach, why destroy all these countries and cities just to try and cheat destiny?"
"Very well, but Jasmine must stay with me." he said firmly. She nodded and on impulse gave him a hug, a hug that was entirely unpredicted and shocked everyone on the room. She stood and ran back to Van who reeled in anger. "You WHAT! I must have Merle!" he charged towards Dilandau. Rei's eyes flashed red. "Mars! Transport! Power!" she shrieked and before Dilandau's eyes, Van and Rei were gone, a slip of paper drifted down and Dilandau picked it up.
It was an ofuda and on the back it said, Good Luck! He stuffed it in his pocket of his armor and tuned back towards Jasmine. "You are mine for good now." she smiled at him confusedly. "Didn't you want him dead?" he smiled at her. "The ointment Mars gave me must have done something else as well." he kissed her and they also walked off. The guards remained staring at what had just happened.
"What the hell did you just do?" yelled Van furiously as she threw him on his bed back at Alan's ship. She glared at him. He started to get up and out the door. "Oh no you don't!" and before he knew what, Mars was sitting on top of him and not allowing him to do much else other than struggle. "Stop it now!" she told him firmly her eyes flashing and sparking. When he stopped struggling, she relaxed a little. "You still don't understand don't you? HE LOVES HER!" she cried. "He was able to forget what you've done to him, but what about you? Is there no such thing as burying the past? Finaalia can be restored, but does your anger towards Dilandau have to grow? He's found something in him that he's never seemed to know he ever had, A HEART! He forgave you! And look what you tried to do!" she continued her face contorting in disgust.
His eyes flew up wide. Dilandau? He loves Merle? He stared up at the young woman on top of him and she rolled off him and then next to him. She sighed. "Why? Why must you destroy Merle's heart a second time?" she asked turning to him, her face inches away from his. He knew more than ever that she really did care for him and that she cared about how Merle felt even if it was towards his worst enemy. He shuddered and she knew. He sat up a little and gave him a hug, cradling his head in her arms. He relaxed under her touch and both of them were found asleep in the morning in that position by Alan and Selene.
Rei awoke from a terrifying dream and filled with terror. No. It couldn't be. Usagi couldn't be dead. She just couldn't! But she knew it was true, Pluto would be coming to get her and she must be ready. But how could Beryl be back? How? She looked down at Van's sleeping form and saw him as peaceful as the little boy he had been before all the war. She leant down and kissed his lips lightly and his eyes fluttered open. As he sat up, he saw that Rei's eyes were filled with tears. "Rei? Are you all right?" he asked anxiously. She shook her head but she was trembling. He held her tight in his arms and tried to sooth her and she began sobbing into his shirt. "M-my pr-princess is d-dead..." she sobbed out.
She suddenly shot her head up and her luminous eyes were still shimmering with tears. "W-will you come with me? She's dead but if we kill the witch that killed her, we might be able to bring her back? Will you help us fight? Please?" she begged him her eyes wide. He nodded. "But how would we get there?" he asked and she smiled. "How did we get here? Huh?" she asked playfully poking him in the ribs. He swatted her hand away equally playfully.
There was a knock on the door and they were both startled. It opened to reveal Alan and Selene. After a little while okay, it was an hour 'cause Selene chose that moment to keel over in a dead faint for some reason... they all agreed to go with Rei and help out. When Selene pointed out that maybe Dilandau and his guymellef would be of some help, Van's face turned stony but Rei snapped her fingers with delight. "Be right back!" she called before she disappeared.
Dilandau was just getting out of the shower and had wrapped a towel around his waist when Rei appeared before him. She stared for about a second before turning a shade of red that matched her sailor outfit and looked away. Dilandau had jumped about a mile into the air before he recognized Rei. She apologized and stepped out of the room and he promised to speak with her. When she did tell him of her problem, he was frowning a little.
"Van will be there won't he?" Rei started, "Yes... Are you over that silly fight yet?" Dilandau's face twisted. "Thanks to you and some help from Jasmine, I have... but what about Van? He'll probably turn on me in the middle of the battle!" she shook her head. "I'll take care of him... but will you help me?" Dilandau thought a moment and nodded. "Do you need an army?" he asked. "No." she decided. "Just bring your guymellef and Jasmine." He consented and he asked. "But how will we get there?"
Rei stood and said, "I'll show you, but quick, you've got to get ready before the time for battle comes!" She dragged him out of the room and after meeting up with Jasmine and getting the guymellef, they transported, with a little difficulty for Mars... Hey have you ever tried to transport that much stuff? where Van and the Escaflowne were waiting and Alan with his guymellef. Hitomi and Selene were standing together and talking. Selene was showing Hitomi a few moves with a sword.
Just as Mars got there, the air started to swirl and they all looked around. In the middle of the meeting-place stood Sailor Pluto. She looked around. "Mars???" she asked questioningly. "They're coming with." Rei told Pluto firmly. Pluto nodded and both of them made a few motions with their hands and uttered a few words. They all were sucked through the the dimensional gap between their worlds and they were headed to the Dragonball dimension, where already there were warriors assembled to help in the battle for the life of a fallen Lunarian princess.